Before a landscaper starts on your Sydney backyard
A garden job in Sydney can meet five sets of rules: the licence the builder holds, the permit a tree may need, the hours for watering with drinking water, the valve that keeps garden water out of the mains, and the barrier around the pool. Each is drawn where it sits on the lot.
A guide to landscaping rules in New South Wales, published by Dotto from the official sources listed at the foot of each page, from Building Commission NSW to Sydney Water.
The five guides
- 1The structural landscaping licence in NSW
Retaining walls, paving, decks and pergolas are among Building Commission NSW’s examples of structural landscaping. Residential work of this kind worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST, needs a contractor licence.
- 2Trees in Sydney and NSW
On NSW land zoned for urban and environmental purposes, Chapter 2 of the Biodiversity and Conservation SEPP sets the clearing rules, and it lets councils run permit systems of their own. The guide uses the City of Sydney as one council’s example.
- 3Sydney Water’s water rules
Sydney Water’s Water Wise Guidelines hold every day of the year. Gardens and lawns may be watered with drinking water before 10am and after 4pm.
- 4Backflow and garden irrigation
Backflow is water running the wrong way, from a source that may be polluted into the drinking supply. On Sydney Water’s network, a licensed plumber must assess each site, and once a containment device is installed it must be tested by a backflow-accredited plumber.
- 5Pool barriers in NSW
A NSW pool fence must stand at least 1.2 metres above finished ground level. Trees, shrubs, pot plants and other objects must stay out of its 90 cm non-climbable zone, which is where the garden meets the fence.
Whose rule it is
The rules on this site come from different bodies, and each holds only where its own source says it does. A council’s tree policy is that council’s; Sydney Water’s watering rules cover the area Sydney Water supplies.
| Rule | Set by | Where it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor licence for structural landscaping | Building Commission NSW; the work is defined in schedule 4 of the Home Building Regulation 2014 | New South Wales |
| Clearing trees and other vegetation | Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021, and council permit systems under it | NSW land zoned for urban and environmental purposes, where the clearing is not linked to a development application |
| Clearing under the 10/50 Code | NSW Rural Fire Service | Only land in a designated 10/50 vegetation clearing entitlement area |
| Water Wise Guidelines | Sydney Water | Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra |
| Backflow containment | Sydney Water, for connections to its mains; Building Commission NSW regulates plumbing in NSW | Every connection to Sydney Water’s mains |
| Pool barriers | Swimming Pools Act 1992 | NSW sites with a residential building, movable dwelling or tourist and visitor accommodation |
Before work starts
NSW Fair Trading’s tips for choosing a tradesperson include “Get more than one written quote” and “Don’t pay any money without a written contract.” Its licence check shows the holder’s name, licence number or numbers, categories and expiry dates.
The NSW Government’s advice on quotes starts with a written job brief, however small the project, given to at least three contractors so their quotes can be compared. Its own example of a variation that can change the final price is rock under the surface that has to be broken up and removed.
Each guide links the body behind its rules at its foot. When a quote arrives, start with the licence guide.